They walked back to the Rath’Varein quarters. After everyone had filed inside, Alec stopped Kayla at the entrance. “I need to make arrangements for my father. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Kayla looked up at him. “Do you want me to go with you?”

He gave her an appreciative smile. “Thank you, but you’ve done a great deal today. Why don’t you relax for a bit before this evening? I know Carl wants to speak with you about what happened. It would probably be better to give you two some privacy.”

Her throat went dry, her eyes darting nervously to the door. Once she went inside, everything would change. “I don’t know what to say to him. I don’t know what happened myself.”

Alec’s touch was a soothing balm as he caressed her face. “I know. He’ll need to understand this is confusing for you.” When she frowned, he added, “Kayla, you know how I feel about you. You’ve seen it for yourself. I can’t say your relationship with Carl doesn’t bother me, but I understand. You might be interested to know he was the one who told me to go ahead and complete the bond with you.”

The news surprised her, and Kayla looked to the door again, wishing she could see inside his head. Why would he have done such a thing? There had been nothing but contention between him and Alec since the beginning.

Alec turned her back to face him. “He loves you, Kayla. He was willing to risk losing you to make sure you were going to be all right.”

She inhaled sharply. The selflessness of Carl’s actions floored her. He’d done nothing but protect her since the moment they met.

She looked up at Alec, trying to discern his motivation. “Why are you telling me this?”

He was quiet for a long moment. “I told you about Carl because I want you to resolve your feelings for him before you come to me. If you need more time, I understand. I’ll support you no matter what you decide to do.”

“Why are you being so understanding about this?”

He gave her a small smile, and she saw a glimpse of the familiar cockiness in his eyes. “Because, at the end of the day, I know you’ll always come back to me. The bond between us is too strong and neither one of us will be able to resist it. Even if you decide to run off and leave the towers with him, you’ll find dozens of excuses to come back.”

The idea made her frown. Her first instinct was to pull back and deny it. She wouldn’t allow herself to be ruled by some metaphysical bond. “Is that what it’s going to be like?”

Alec ran his fingers along the side of her face. “When I touch you, you feel complete, don’t you?”

She shivered and gave him a small nod, not comfortable with how much she enjoyed his touch. “That’s because of the shared energy. The farther away you go, the more you’ll feel its loss. That’s not to say it’s impossible to be apart, but you’ll find yourself longing to be with me again.”

Kayla hesitated, but she needed to be honest with him. “Alec, I don’t know if I want to stay in the towers. My life and everything I’ve ever known is outside these walls. I don’t want to give that up. When I’m in the ruins, it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I feel alive down there.”

His look was one of infinite patience, and he gave her an understanding smile. “That’s because you were using your energy without realizing it, Kayla. Do you feel alive when you’re with me?”

“Well…” She considered the question, not sure if it was the same thing. She’d only known Alec for a handful of days, regardless of the intimacy they’d shared through their bond. When she was in the glow of an energy exchange with him, she felt more alive than she ever had. Each small touch from him evoked a promise of that powerful connection. “I don’t know. Yeah, I guess. You’re making my life more complicated. I don’t know what’s real anymore, but I know what I feel for Carl is real.”

“You don’t have to make a decision about anything right now, Kayla.” Alec glanced up as a few people wandered down the hall, giving them curious looks. With a reluctant sigh, he pulled away from her. “I should go, but I’ll be back soon.”

Kayla nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and watched him walk away. Once he was gone, she let out a long exhale and went back inside her mother’s quarters.

Everyone looked up when she entered. Uncomfortable with the stares, she managed a weak smile. “Quite a show, huh?”

Veridian frowned at her. “Are you really thinking about marrying him, Kayla?”

Panic, sharp and biting, flooded through her. She shook her head. “Marriage? Me? Hell no. I’m not marrying anyone. I was just trying to keep that damn bracelet off me.”

Veridian stood and gave her a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

She hugged him back and then turned to Carl. Her palms were damp, and she rubbed them nervously on her dress. “Carl? Could I talk to you for a few minutes?”

He nodded and stood. Kayla felt everyone’s gaze on them as they made their way toward her room. She heard Cruncher mutter, “She’s either going to break his heart or make him incredibly happy.”

Kayla stepped inside her bedroom and closed the door behind Carl. He remained silent and just watched her. She bit her lip and looked up into his brown eyes. A million things to say came into her mind, but nothing seemed appropriate, so she fell back on what worked.

She stepped close, putting her arms around him. Carl hesitated for a moment before resting his hands on her waist, keeping her in place. He shook his head, his movements stiff, and didn’t make any other moves toward her. “Kayla, I don’t understand what’s going on with this whole energy thing.”

“I don’t either.” The distance between them hurt, and she wanted to bridge the gulf. “Alec seems to be the only one who does.”

At the mention of his name, Carl’s face darkened. Kayla could see the turmoil in his expression as he asked, “So he’s ‘claimed’ you now? What does that even mean?”

She wished she knew. As hard as it was for her, it had to be worse for him. She, at least, was a participant in the bond and could see the energy between them. Carl was trapped on the sidelines without any idea about what was going on. “I don’t understand it. He said we’re permanently linked now. I can leave the towers, but I’ll always end up returning here because of him. I won’t ever feel complete unless I’m with him.”

“Is that true?”

She hoped not, but she didn’t feel confident about it. “I don’t know. I think so. Even now, I feel strange when he’s not nearby. I don’t understand it. I can still feel him, but it’s just… not right. I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Carl released her. “So what happens now?”

Kayla shook her head and threw up her hands in frustration. “Carl, you know I suck at talking about this kind of thing.” She dropped her hands, her shoulders slumping. She wished he could just look inside her and know. “My feelings for you haven’t changed. I love you.”

He hesitated, his fingers flexing as though he ached to touch her. The small action gave her hope. She didn’t want to lose him. But then he asked, “How do you feel about Alec?”

“I don’t know!” Frustration bubbled to the surface, and she paced around the room, stopping to kick the footboard of the bed. “I want to scream! Or hit something! Or break something!”